


with care do flowers bloom

by twinSky



Series: unquantifiable things [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Because Yusaku Deserves Happiness, Developing Friendships, Fix-It, Friendship, Gen, I do mean everyone; if they are a tagged character Yusaku gets a nice friendly scene with them, Kinda, Platonic Relationships, Post-Canon, platonic intimacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:14:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24104245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twinSky/pseuds/twinSky
Summary: It was something Yusaku could appreciate now, in the aftermath, at the end of it all. How much it really meant to have had everyone stand with him through it all.So he wanted to make the effort, so that they could see how much he really had appreciated it.(After getting Ai back, of course.)
Relationships: Ai | Ignis & Fujiki Yuusaku, Ai | Ignis/Fujiki Yuusaku, Fujiki Yuusaku & Everyone
Series: unquantifiable things [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1753906
Comments: 11
Kudos: 49





	with care do flowers bloom

**Author's Note:**

> Happy VRAINS anniversary!
> 
> I finished this show on Friday after marathoning it for 5 days (Quarantine has given me. A Lot of free time) and I didn't even know! I finished it and immediately went to work on this, and was even more motivated to finish it quickly when I learned about that. I thought about the basic concept of this fic at around episode 20 but wanted to wait until I was done to start writing it. And by then the concept had changed completely, this was originally a ship fic (the first section is actually. still part of that original idea but eh), based around the idea that I think Yusaku would be really awkward at expressing feelings, so much so that he'd do things that clearly expressed romantic affection but like. not even realise he had the crush.
> 
> Instead we now have. Yusaku purposefully attempting to spread platonic affection to various degrees of non-awkward success . I love it much more this way tbh. (Sorry to GO, the only character to not even be mentioned that had at some point a positive interaction with Yusaku, you did not fit anywhere.) As such maybe slight OOC on Yusaku's part but like, on purpose and for a reason.
> 
> BTW this fic will switch between present (post 3 months) and past (the three months). It should be clear where you are, hopefully, probably.
> 
> (Despite the tags you are free to interpret any relationship here as platonic or romantic, I really don't care. Except Kusanagi. That is strictly a family relationship because the thought warms my heart.)

“Thank you,” Yusaku says simply, holding Ryoken’s hands in his own. He’s not sure who told him that Yusaku had came back, or why he had been waiting outside his school, but it didn’t quite matter at the moment.

“… Playmaker?” Ryoken replies, a faint strain to his voice Yusaku doesn’t quite get.

He tilts his head to the side, eyes closing. “I know you disagree, but you saved me back then; you gave me the strength to fight and move forward for so long. You saw us as enemies before, even when we were not truly on opposite sides and I did not disagree then, but I will now. You are special to me and I could never hate you. So Re – no, Ryoken I say again; thank you, for everything.”

His eyes open only to find Ryoken staring at him, eyebrows raised, mouth slightly agape. He blinks, taking a step back as his eyes land on a nearby clock. Ah. He’s running late.

“Aoi,” he says, and she jerks slightly, watching him curiously. He frowns, pushing the odd reactions aside, “I have to go, I told Kusanagi I’d head over right after school.”

She blinks, then nods, “Of course, see you tomorrow Yusaku.”

The use of first names between them is still a bit stilted, a bit odd, he thinks, but not at all bad.

“It was nice to see you again.” He continues, turning towards Ryoken, who nods faintly and lifts a stiff arm to wave goodbye.

Yusaku makes it halfway to the truck before he realises has no idea why Ryoken came to visit in the first place.

Well, if it was truly important, Ryoken would seek him out again.

-

Yusaku did not know for how long he had sat there, arms clutched around Ai’s body (an empty shell. It wasn’t really him. The thought somehow just made it hurt worse) but it was enough that the room around them had dimmed and brightened more than once. Long enough that the growling ache in his stomach had steadied into a persistent dull pain. Long enough that his voice no longer came when he cried, and then that the tears he shed no longer fell, eyes as dry as the pain that lingered in his throat.

He knew he had to move, to get up, to do _anything_ , but the thought of letting go was too hard.

The thought of leaving was too much.

Yusaku wasn’t ready, and he wasn’t sure he ever would be.

-

“Takeru is coming to visit this weekend.” Kusanagi greets Yusaku enters the back of the truck. “Maybe bring a helmet,” He says sagely, then pauses considering, “or a bubble suit.”

“He won’t hit me.” Yusaku replies simply.

“I don’t know about that,” Kusanagi remarks, waving the tongs at him, “kids got a passionate streak to him.”

Yusaku thinks of the tear-filled earful Takeru had given him after he had come back. He had gone to Kusanagi first, and by the time he was home again, charging his phone enough to turn it on, messages rained down the screen a call blaring right away.

Yusaku had listened patiently, without a word, and Takeru had hung up without letting him so much as speak. He did not mind and could not help but smile when moments after his phone had lit up with a message.

_‘I’ll be over soon, so don’t you dare disappear >(‘_

That had been just over a week ago.

“He won’t.” Yusaku affirms.

Kusanagi sighs, tired and put upon, “He better not, Jin’s really taken a liking to you I don’t think he’d like seeing you hurt.”

“I like him too.” He replies easily, he hadn’t known what to expect of the younger Kusanagi once he’d returned, but he is cheerful and kind in a way Yusaku is not quite used to. He did not remember, not at all, but seems to have instantly regarded Yusaku with a familiarity that neither he nor Kusanagi were sure about. It is… nice however.

Kusanagi regards him for a moment and then grins, ruffling Yusaku’s hair with his free hand. He scowls, pushing him away with a glare.

“Anyways, if you’re here you can help, I guess. Put on an apron and help Jin take orders.”

“You’re the one who asked me to come.”

“Right! Then I called you to come help.” Kusanagi confirms with a grin, shoving an apron in his direction.

He stares at it blankly, “I’m not good with people.” He’d helped out before, but in the new set up they had now, he’d rather take a try at burning hot dogs again.

“And no time like the present to learn, come on now.” Kusanagi says sagely, nodding his head solemnly as he all but pushes him towards the door.

With a sigh he removes his bag and jacket, then the buttoned shirt to reveal the simple black tee below before placing the apron on over it.

He’s barely out the door when Jin spots him, eyes brightening as he rushes over to pull him into a hug.

“Yusaku!” He greets and Yusaku freezes for a moment before relaxing, raising an arm to awkwardly pat Jin’s back. He’s still not used to hugging, but he thinks that Jin perhaps had made it his mission to make sure he will be.

It is an odd thought, but not one that Yusaku found he minded.

-

When he finally managed to rip himself from Ai’s abandoned SOLtis, to leave the sea of identical (but empty. So empty) copies his legs barely cooperate. His first attempt was a failure, his second barely any better.

By the time he managed to exit the building he collapsed right back down and breathed. He needed a plan, _anything_. Yusaku hurts, something deeper than physical, like a piece of his soul had been reached into and torn out in the most painful way possible. Yusaku missed Ai in a manner so ardent it hurt to _be._

Ai did this for him.

Ai sacrificed himself for him.

Ai _loved_ him.

(It had hurt. It _hurt_. Yusaku had known what the word meant, of course he did. But he did not think he had truly understood the meaning until they had left Ai’s lips, sad but meaningful, the words of someone who understood Yusaku far more intimately than Yusaku would ever had allowed anyone else.

Yusaku would always have regrets, but that moment would always stand stark in his mind as one of the worst.)

And Yusaku, no matter how much he knew Ai wanted him to, could not bare to live without him.

So he would get him back.

-

If you had asked Yusaku less than half a year ago what he would be doing for the weekend well. Most likely he would not have answered, but if he had, it would be him at his computer searching Link VRAINS, hacking for useful information, and a number of other things that would in most cases be considered illegal.

Never would he have said an arcade.

And yet, here he is.

It's not his idea, but Shima had asked and for once he could not think of a good reason to say no. It's also going to be something to tell Takeru, when he arrives tomorrow. He wonders though, if perhaps he should have, because he could still see Shima’s surprised and bewildered expression in his head. And also in front of him, because Shima was looking at him with that same expression from where he stood beside Aoi and two other duel club members.

“Fujiki! You actually came!” Shima just about yells, earning curious eyes from passerby’s, and an eyeroll from Aoi.

“I said I would.”

“Yeah but…” Shima says and then trails off, “Well we’re glad you could make it.”

“Thank you for inviting me.” He smiles and Shima sputters, face flushing red.

“Whatever, l-let’s go in we can start with your favorite.” Shima says, giving the other two members a glare when they begin to snicker.

“I don’t have favorite, I’ve never been.” He says, and even Aoi looks a bit surprised at that.

“Oh Fujiki,” Shima says weakly, looking almost pained, “let me teach you the wonders of arcade games.”

Then he grabs Yusaku by the hand and drags him in.

He’s not sure who between the two of them is more surprised he doesn’t pull it away, but he doesn’t. He does however have a good time, though he could deal with a quieter environment.

-

He had spent the first few weeks hopping from Internet Café to Internet Café. They sold food, they had places to sleep, and stalls that could used to enter Link VRAINS in privacy. But eventually, it was clear that he needed a more permanent residence.

Yusaku had not known what he was looking for, if there was even something _to_ look for but… the second he had stepped into the virtual space of Link VRAINS he had felt it. Like a quiet but incessant alarm, a back beat to the steady thrum of his heart.

Ai was here, all around, in the open, hidden deep inside. He knew it, known in the way it felt like he could breathe for the first time in days when there wasn’t even a need to here. Known it in the way that that empty feeling was not gone or filled but no longer felt like it was threatening to consume him whole.

So he had started to collect it, the bits and pieces of Ai’s data that were scattered across the whole of Link VRAINS. It was not much of anything at first, all undeniably Ai but in its scattered miniscule form could not be connected in any meaningful way.

But… slowly… surely… it started to come together.

And Yusaku needed somewhere to put the pieces together, somewhere he could trust Ai to be safe. Not his apartment where they could find him (Yusaku did not want to be found until he found Ai, until he was ready, he could not let himself be distracted until then), and not here where even despite his best efforts everything was too vulnerable.

So he searched, and eventually found a rundown apartment where the landlord had been willing to let him to stay rent free as long as he ran a couple of odd jobs for him a few times a month. Not the most legal of solutions, a situation he wasn’t exactly a stranger to, but it had been one less thing about him people could track. One more level of security.

And, finally set up in his new house, he'd begun the painstaking process of recreating Ai, bit by little bit.

-

Yusaku stands stiff by the exit as he waits for Takeru’s train to arrive. Takeru had said Yusaku didn’t need to bother, but he hadn’t argued when Yusaku had insisted, so the other couldn’t really mind.

It is still a sigh of relief when he spots Takeru’s distinctive hair in the crowd, and can tell Takeru spots him too by the way his face splits into a grin making a beeline towards him. His arms open wide as he runs towards him before screeching to a halt before him. Takeru smiles sheepishly, one hand reaching up behind his head, the other clapping Yusaku’s shoulder.

Yusaku thinks about it for a second before deciding to pull Takeru into a quick one-sided hug, letting go before Takeru can react. He resists the urge to fidget when Takeru just stands there, staring at him with eyes wide.

“It’s good to see you, Takeru.” He says after a beat and Takeru nods dumbly at the remark.

“ _Takeru_ , you idiot! Don’t just run off,” an unfamiliar voice shouts and Yusaku looks around Takeru to spot a blue-haired girl marching towards them, a disgruntled look above the annoyed set to her shoulders, “you know my phone died on the train. If I got lost just how were you expecting to find me?”

“Ah,” Takeru blinks, finally tearing his gaze away from Yusaku to turn to her, “Kiku, I’m sorry I was just you know…”

The girl, Kiku, sighs, placing her hands on her hips, “Yeah I know.” Her posture loosens as she turns to face him, a kind smile lighting up her face. “You must be Fujiki, I’ve heard so much about you. It’s nice to meet you I’m Kamishirakawa Kiku and I’m Takeru’s best friend.” She finishes almost proudly, and Takeru’s face flames.

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Kamishirakawa-san.” He replies, bowing slightly after a beat.

She waves, “No, call me Kiku, really. Any friend of Takeru’s is a friend of mine, especially after everything you two did together.”

So she knows about Soulburner, then.

He nods, “You can call me Yusaku as well then, Kiku-san. Takeru is a very dear friend of mine, I would not have made it this far without him.”

And it is true, Kusanagi had been there from the start, but on the sidelines. Blue Angel, later Blue Maiden, had helped but only from necessity, especially at first. But Takeru, Takeru had appeared out of the blue and stood by him, fought with him, fought _for_ him without question.

It was something Yusaku could appreciate now, in the aftermath, at the end of it all.

“Yu-Yusaku…” Takeru’s wobbly voice comes and Yusaku turns, alarmed, only to find Takeru crying. His lips tremble and they stand there for a moment before Takeru launches himself at Yusaku, holding him tight.

Yusaku, with his mild experience, pats him softly on the back as Takeru cries.

“Don’t disappear like that again,” Takeru murmurs into his shoulder, “I, I know it could’ve been easy but we’re here for you, _I’m_ here for you. You’re my best friend, Yusaku, don’t try to do everything on your own anymore.”

He blinks, eyes suddenly stinging, shifting his gaze towards Kiku. Would she be offended? She had introduced herself as Takeru’s best friend after all, but she's laughing into her hand, shoulders shaking with the motion, seemingly without a care.

Could you have more than one best friend?

He hopes so, he realises at that moment, out of everyone he knew he thought Takeru came the closest to being his.

He hopes then, as his best friend, Takeru will forgive him for doing one last thing on his own.

Well, nearly on his own.

-

Yusaku remembered the feeling of it, more than anything else. A warmth that had spread through him as he collected enough to make him real again. Still not whole, but enough that a familiar shape formed on the screen before him.

“Huh?” The eye on the screen said and Yusaku’s heart felt too large in his chest, as it choked him from the inside. He had not known if at this stage Ai would remember him, if he would even _be_ Ai.

So he said nothing, had let the eye on the screen blink around in confusion until its gaze fell on him.

And he waited.

“You… _Yusaku!_ Stupid! Why did you bring me back.” The eye, _Ai_ , shouted at him, eye narrowed in familiar annoyance, his voice a comforting staccato against his ears.

Over two months of searching, of _hoping_ , that this would work, that he could dream of getting him back.

It had made his cheeks heat in embarrassment, but he could not help the way he had begun to cry.

“ _Eh?_ Yusaku-chan, hey, don’t cry, it’s weird if you cry.” Ai flustered, the eye on the scream flittered around as if nervous.

“I’m happy.” He said, two words that were still somehow too raw, too honest; but if anyone deserved that from him, it was Ai.

“I feel like I’m missing something,” Ai said, more to himself than Yusaku he thought, “Alright! My dearest Yusaku, tell me your secrets and then I’ll decide if I should be mad.”

And so Yusaku had.

And Ai was not.

-

Ryoken appears, as he is wont to do, out of the blue and without preamble.

Kiku pauses in the middle of another story about Takeru as a child –stories she’s telling, Yusaku is almost sure of, simply to watch Takeru sputter and deny, than actually having an interest in – when she notices the quiet that has spread around the table. Yusaku stares at him blankly, Takeru looks annoyed but not upset.

“Can we help you?” Kiku asks cheerily, when it becomes clear no one else is going to speak.

“I’m here to speak with him.” Ryoken says, nodding his head towards Yusaku.

“Him?” Takeru scoffs, but he looks like he’s trying not to laugh, “He has a name you know.”

“As do you. Shut up, Homura.” Ryoken says calmly and Takeru reels back comically, hand against his chest.

“You wound me, Ryoken-sama.” Takeru replies with a grin and Ryoken scowls.

“Do not call me that.”

“Yes, of course, never again.” Takeru says with faux seriousness and Kiku hits him on the head, grinning when Takeru looks at her with wounded eyes.

Are Ryoken and Takeru friends now? It's an odd thought, but Yusaku still did not know much about what had happened in the 3 months he was gone. He supposes weirder things could have happened.

“What did you want, Ryoken?” He asks and watches him pause, mouth opening and then closing.

“I thought about what you said.” Ryoken begins, “And, if you would like, we could hang out and… catch up.” He says each word slowly, carefully, eyes trained somewhere firmly above Yusaku.

“I would like that.”

“Okay,” Ryoken says, “Okay, Play– Yusaku.” His lips twitch up at the familiar address, and Ryoken turns away.

“ _Oooh_ , finally kissed and made up I see.” Takeru cheers, ignoring Ryoken’s glare.

“It’s rude to tease.” Kiku scolds, but she’s laughing too, both of them leaning against each other.

“I dislike you,” Ryoken says, ignoring how Takeru swoons like he’d professed his love instead, and then turns his attention back to Yusaku, “I will message you the details later.”

“Alright,” Yusaku replies, the same smile still on his face.

Ryoken stands there for a moment longer, before nodding his head and bidding them goodbye.

“You’re different Yusaku.” Takeru notes after his laughter subsides.

“Hm?”

“It’s not bad or anything.” He continues quickly, hands raising defensively.

“It’s fine,” he replies, shaking his head.

It's something he's trying for, after all.

-

Ai had not been mad at him for his decision to bring him back, but he had been upset with the way he went about it. Which was fair, but if given the option he still wouldn’t have included anyone else, because it was something he needed to do for himself.

And Ai had conceded eventually, but now that he was back, even if incomplete, would not stand for it any longer.

“Three months!” He had cried, “Three months Yusaku-chan, everyone must be worried sick.”

Yusaku tried not think about it. “I needed to find you.”

“And you did,” Ai had replied, tone softening, “so now it’s time to go home.”

Which was why Yusaku found himself standing off to the side of Café Nagi, observing the new set up.

There were more tables than he was used to, and a boy he recognised as Jin was taking the order of a couple seated. Kusanagi, hard to see from this distance in his truck, seemed to just be grilling the food. Yusaku could not see his expression, but he assumed he was smiling, he had his brother back after all.

It was nice, and the feeling that he was intruding suddenly overwhelmed him.

He should… leave, come back later, maybe send a message instead. Kusanagi was the first person Yusaku had thought of, but hadn’t Kusanagi already done enough for him? Stupidly, he felt his hands had begun to tremble and he regretted leaving Ai at home.

“Jin! Jin close up the truck.” Kusanagi’s voice rung out, loud even in the middle of the crowded plaza. His eyes focused and he watched with some confusion as Kusanagi marched over to him and dragged him into the back of the truck without so much of a word.

Yusaku was too unsteady to even think about protesting.

“I’m back,” he said once his thoughts reordered themselves. “I wanted to let you know.”

Kusanagi laughed, though the sound came across a bit too loud, “Well, I appreciate that.”

He nodded absently, thinking of the closed truck window, of Jin most likely outside packing up the tables, “I should go though, you were busy.”

“Yusaku.” Kusanagi said stiffly, pressing a hand firmly against his shoulder when Yusaku tried to stand up. “When have I ever cared about keeping the shop open when there were more important things to deal with.”

Oh.

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Kusanagi replied drly, “Did you find what you needed? You worried everyone you know.”

Yusaku thought of Ai, back in his former apartment promising Yusaku he’d be fine and that he’d just finish setting things up while Yusaku went out.

“I did.” He said softly, smiling.

Kusanagi whistled. “Did you now?” He asked and for some reason the tone made Yusaku flush.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Whatever Kusanagi had to reply to that was cut off as the door swung open, Jin’s heavily breathing figure leaned against it.

“Brother you can’t just close like that, people were upset. Why did you – _Yusaku_!”

“You know me?” Yusaku had visited a few times, Kusanagi had insisted, but he didn’t think the other had ever really noticed he was there. Given Kusanagi’s expression, he was slightly confused as well.

“My brother told me about you, and I. I don’t really remember anything but… you saved me, right?” Jin stated, and his smile had been almost fond, “I don’t remember it, any of it, but I know that.”

Despite everything he had done, Yusaku couldn’t ever remember such a grateful look being aimed at him.

“Um,”

“So you’re back?” Jin continued, letting the door close behind him as he stepped further into the truck. “My brother said you were on a journey.”

“… Yes”

“Great!” Jin said, and reached forward despite Kusanagi’s stuttered protests. He grabbed Yusaku’s hands, smiling down at him. “It’s nice to properly meet you, I hope we can be friends.”

Yusaku had not replied, stiff and frozen as he stared at their joined hands. Slowly, breath by unsteady breath, he had made his shoulders relax, released the tension holding his arms stiff.

He felt, more than saw, Jin’s concern watching as the hands around his slowly loosened and only then did he find his voice.

“No. It’s fine. I’m fine.” He said firmly, and almost hesitantly the hands reaffirmed their position around his. “I’d like that too, Kusanagi-kun.”

“Call me Jin,” he not quite whined, “If you call me Kusanagi I’ll think you’re talking to my brother.”

“Okay,” he nodded, then tilted his head towards Kusanagi, “what have I missed?”

Kusanagi watched him for a moment, then grinned.

“God, where do I even start.”

It was some time later that Kusanagi’s abridged update ended, long enough that Jin had given up paying attention and had moved to the desk, presumably to do homework.

“That’s about it on my end,” Kusanagi eventually said and they both turned when Jin perked up at that, watching them again with curious eyes, “I’ll let the others fill you in on their own.” His grinned turned sheepish. “I already messaged Takeru about you.”

“My phone is dead.” He replied and Kusanagi nodded in sympathy.

“Somehow, completely unsurprising.”

“Thank you, though” he said as he stood up, “I appreciate it.”

“Leaving already?” Jin interrupted, once he found a moment. Yusaku nodded, looking away, scratching at his cheek. He had already left Ai alone long enough today.

“Bring him by next time, I missed him too after all.” Kusanagi said and laughed when Yusaku jerked. “What? I do know you pretty well and I’m no idiot.”

“Yeah… okay, he’d like that.”

“Don’t be a stranger Yusaku,” Kusanagi continued, tone oddly serious, “just because our mission is over doesn’t mean we aren’t friends anymore.”

“Yeah!” Jin chimed in, leaning over his chair “You’ve been helping my brother all this time right? That means you’re practically family by now.”

It wasn’t just him that froze at that, even Kusanagi seemed off-kilter but then he smiled. “Yeah, yeah you are kiddo and don’t you forget it.”

They both stood to see him off, Jin rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

“Hey can I like, hug you?” He eventually blurted just as Yusaku made to leave.

“ _Jin_.” Kusanagi hissed and would have probably said more but Yusaku interrupted.

“Okay.” He said and wasn’t sure for a moment if it had actually been him who spoke.

“Yusaku?”

“It’s fine.” He said firmly, despite his apprehension it had not been terrible when Jin had held his hands. And these were people Yusaku knew he could trust, nothing bad was going to happen.

“I’m going in then!” Jin affirmed, but still approached slowly, like he was willing to give Yusaku the out. It calmed the tense set of his shoulders, and the loud beat of his heart, more than he had thought it should.

Then his arms wrapped around him, and Yusaku could only think that it felt warm.

-

“Ever going to stop ignoring my brother?” Aoi asks, interrupting their lunch, and her lazy scrolling of all the pictures Takeru had posted of his weekend visit.

“Uh.”

“He’s been asking about you since you started showing up at school again, Emma too.” She continues.

“Well…”

She pauses, looking up from her phone to stare at him. “Well?”

Aoi is one thing, he couldn’t avoid her, and she's as stubborn as the lot of them when she wanted to be. When she had sat down beside him when he came back to school, and then demanded during lunch that he refer to her by her first name, he had not found it worth the effort to deny her.

Her brother though, Ghost Girl…

Between Ai and Robbopi they had lost them both, along with Blood Shepherd. And had Yusaku not won, they would still be gone now. Yusaku knew that, knew all the wrong that Ai had done and had wanted him back anyways. Had gotten him back.

It did not sit right with Yusaku to sit a table with them knowing he had brought back someone’s murderer.

Aoi sighs, “It’s not like he’s going to know you brought Ai back.” He freezes.

“What.”

She frowns, looking almost disappointed. “I’m not stupid, I can see the differences. Aqua might not have been mine but… I get it. If I could bring her back I would, no matter what she had done. Not just for me, but for Miyu, I wish they could have met.”

“Does anyone else…”

“My brother and Emma wouldn’t think about it, Homura is not exactly the brightest person, and I do not make it my concern to know what Revolver and his group think of.” She smiles, “And I’m sure you’ve already told the Kusanagi’s, I’ve never been very good at holding secrets from my brother either.”

“That’s… good.”

“You should tell everyone; I’m sure Ai would love being able to travel around with you again.” She suggests, attention turning back to her phone.

“Not yet, but soon.” They just needed to finish one final thing.

She hums, “I see. So can I tell my brother you’ll come over?”

“I don’t understand why he even wants me too.”

“But Mr. Playmaker,” Aoi says, tone high and airy, “You saved the world, not once, not twice, but three times. How could we not want to thank you”

“You all helped.” He argues.

Her tone settles, “You also did something none of us could have ever asked you to do.”

Again, Yusaku stills, he had not told anyone about what had happened in that final battle against Ai but it seemed like they all knew regardless. He should not have been surprised, they had seen what happened to those that lost, but every casual mention still felt too sudden.

“Okay, I’ll come.” He finally relents.

“Friday okay?” She asks and he nods, Ryoken’s message had only said to keep his Thursday evening free and despite Ai’s complaints he plans on keeping that meeting.

“You’re a good guy, Yusaku.” She says almost approvingly.

“For some reason, I don’t like hearing that from you.” He says flatly as she laughs.

“Either way it’s true, now eat you’ve barely touched your lunch.”

He frowns, glaring down at his meal, “You sound like him.”

“Oh? What a lovely house husband you have then.” She remarks and Yusaku feels the childish urge to throw his chopsticks at her.

He stamps it down, aggressively grabbing his next piece of food, “Shut up.”

Aoi relents with a wink, an expression that is always odd on her real face when compared to the natural way it comes off on her Link VRAINS avatar.

They spend the rest of their lunch in companionable silence, as usual.

-

“You’re going to have to tell them eventually, you know.” Ai tuts up at him from his Ignis form, setting cross legged on the desk before him. He’s gotten stronger since he first reformed, more pieces collected, new ones he’s began to form.

“Not until we’re sure it will work.” Didn’t want to give them false hope, not when he remembered Takeru’s pleas and Aoi’s soft words.

“Well what about me? I’m here aren’t I?”

“You don’t want them to know about you until we’re sure either, so I’m not sure what your point here is.” He replies, eyes turning back towards the monitor.

“It’s just… safer that way, in all the simul—”

“I don’t want to hear about them.” He snaps, hands curling around the mouse harshly.

“Yusaku-chan…” Ai says softly and Yusaku ignores him, training his eyes firmly on the screen.

“Regardless, I don’t think we’ll need to hide it much longer.” He says, eyeing the five split sections of the screen, most of them are almost at the point Ai had been when he had first reawakened.

“I didn’t think… they were gone and then so was I. I never thought that they could all come back.” Ai says, almost reverently, the soft hurt tone a familiar undercurrent to Yusaku by now. Apparent each time the other speaks about them.

“If you came back,” Yusaku says, pausing his work to reach a hand over to Ai who quickly floats over to rest on it, “I thought maybe they could to. Bohman may have absorbed them, but when he disintegrated, their data should have too.”

“Even if it did, it should have been as one.” Ai rebuts, even when they both know it wasn’t true.

“Well it didn’t, wasn’t,” Yusaku hums, “I hoped otherwise, and was right. Did your simulations ever take that into account?”

“Hope isn’t a quantifiable value.” Ai pouts, crossing his arms.

“Exactly.”

“I don’t like you when you’re smug.” Ai huffs, throwing his hands up in mock frustration. “Have you even thought about what you plan on telling everyone. Revolver won’t like this at all.”

“He… he made Pandor, he called you by your name, I think he can be reasonable if we try.”

“I just feel like you have a very biased opinion of him.”

“Of course,” Yusaku says flatly, “let me ask him tomorrow over dinner how he would feel if all the Ignis came back. That will go over well I’m sure.”

“That’s another thing!” Ai exclaims, pointing a finger at him, “I can’t believe you’re going to have a romantic candlelit dinner with him!”

“We aren’t.”

“You don’t know what he has planned, he could be!” Ai insists, “He lives on a boat Yusaku, that’s the perfect atmosphere for a romantic evening.”

“You’re thinking far too deeply about this.”

If Ai’s current form could scowl, Yusaku imagines he would be right now, yellow eyes narrowing. “That’s rich coming from you! I don’t think you’re thinking deeply _enough_. But that’s expected, you’ve always been soft for Revolver.”

“I am not soft.”

“Oh? You might not take me with you Yusaku-chan, but I am still very capable of getting around so don’t think I haven’t seen how you’ve been acting lately.”

Yusaku looks down at Ai then flits his eyes back up to the screen, free hand grabbing the mouse again. “I told you, all we have is our bonds, our connections. And these connections are two-way streets.”

“They know you care Yusaku, you don’t have to force yourself.” Ai softly, and Yusaku feels the warmth of Ai’s hand pressed gently against his wrist.

“I want to,” he says firmly, not wanting Ai to get the wrong idea, “and it’s been… nice.”

“ _See_ you _are_ soft.” Ai applauds. “Which brings me back to my point, you’re soft, and you’re going to let Revolver woo you and I don’t trust him enough for that! Consider Soulburner, a much more likeable option.”

“No one is _wooing_ me Ai.” He replies, lips curling around the word, who even says that anymore.

“They could!”

“They won’t, and even if they did I am not interested.”

“Oh? Is that so? Revolver is quite attractive you know, I may not like him but that is just a fact. What are you interested in then?”

“Nothing. No one.” Yusaku says and then pauses. “However…”

“However?”

He lifts the hand holding Ai up, meeting him eye to eye. Ai blinks, Yusaku smiles, “I do love you.” He says and presses a kiss to Ai’s forehead.

Ai reels back, eyes growing so wide they nearly take up his whole face before he launches forward throwing himself at Yusaku. He winces at the impact, one of Ai’s hands nearly jabbing him in the eye.

“Yusaku-chan how forward, how _bold_.”

“Stop.”

“You’ve swept me off my feet, reassuring your lovely AI friend here with a sweet little kiss.”

“Stop.”

“If only I could return the favour,” Ai bemoans, nuzzling his head into the crook of Yusaku’s nose, “Just you wait, as soon as I’m stable enough to take one of those SOLtis bodies again I’ll show you.”

Yusaku’s face heats, and he scowls reaching up a hand to grab and lift Ai away.

“Enough,” he says, shooing him away with a flick of his wrist, “go away.”

“You can’t say that, _do that_ ,” Ai pouts, floating back over, “and then not let me shower you with affection.”

“I take it back.”

“No you don’t.”

He frowns, turning his head away and Ai floats over, following his gaze.

“Hey,” He says, expression genuinely remorseful, “I’m sorry, I won’t tease anymore.”

Yusaku sighs, a deep outwards breath through his nose, “No, it’s just –I need to make sure you know.”

“… I’m not going to disappear again, I promise.”

“You better not.” He mumbles and Ai’s expression clears somehow lighting up with a grin despite not having a month.

“Okay! Let’s go pick out your outfit for your date.”

“It’s not a date, and I have two outfits.” He says and Ai pauses from where he was floating over to the bedroom. He turns around to face him, blinking dumbly.

“You’re… right! Yusaku you can’t go in your hoodie or your school uniform, that’s just _sad_.” Ai flits around the room, seemingly genuinely distressed by this turn of events, “I know,” he says suddenly with a snap of his fingers, “we need to go shopping. You need more clothes; you don’t need to dress like a sad hobo anymore Yusaku we have _options_.”

Yusaku hums, tuning him out as he begins some long-winded speech on the values of an extensive wardrobe. On this one case, he probably has at least somewhat of a point, but Yusaku isn’t going to sit there and actually listen to the whole thing.

Instead he turns his attention back to the monitor letting the familiar tones of Ai’s voice become background noise as he goes back to work. Soon, soon they should be able to get them all back and this time do it right. No one has to get hurt, _be_ hurt, this time.

For the first time in a long time, for the first time he can _remember_ , Yusaku feels optimistic about his life. Like there’s actually something to be optimistic about.

It’s a weird feeling, but a good one. And, he thinks, eyes flickering over to Ai still in the middle of his speech, one he wants to make sure lasts.

Because after everything, it’s the least they are owed.

**Author's Note:**

> I could have expanded more on Yusaku's three month search for Ai, but I'm sure there are plenty of fics for that, I am here for Yusaku healing and getting closer to his comrades after he gets back, the three month period was just to me unavoidable in expressing Yusaku's choices. I'm unsure if I should've tagged for Yusaku's feelings towards touch, and some of his other minor reactions in this fic. I might go back and add something in that regard later maybe.
> 
> Also, for some reason writing this made me really attached to Jin, I don't have any explanation for that, but I love him now.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and happy anniversary!  
> [Tumblr](http://twinsky.tumblr.com)/[Twitter](https://twitter.com/twinsky72)


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